scholarly journals Flood Consequences of Land-Use Changes at a Ski Resort: Overcoming a Geomorphological Threshold (Portainé, Eastern Pyrenees, Iberian Peninsula)

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glòria Furdada ◽  
Ane Victoriano ◽  
Andrés Díez-Herrero ◽  
Mar Génova ◽  
Marta Guinau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Flood Events ◽  
Human Disturbances ◽  
Ski Resort ◽  
Eastern Pyrenees ◽  
Holistic Understanding

The sensitive mountain catchment of Portainé (Eastern Pyrenees, Iberian Peninsula) has recently experienced a significant change in its torrential dynamics due to human disturbances. The emplacement of a ski resort at the headwaters led to the surpassing of a geomorphological threshold, with important consequences during flood events. Consequently, since 2008, channel dynamics have turned into sediment-laden, highly destructive torrential flows. In order to assess this phenomenon and o acquire a holistic understanding of the catchment’s behaviour, we carried out a field work-based multidisciplinary study. We considered the interaction of the various controlling factors, including bedrock geology, geomorphological evolution, derived soils and coluvial deposits, rainfall patterns, and the hydrological response of the catchment to flood events. Moreover, anthropogenic land-use changes, its consequential hydrogeomorphic effects and the role of vegetation were also taken into account. Robust sedimentological and geomorphological evidence of ancient dense debris flows show that the basin has shifted around this threshold, giving rise to two different behaviours or equilibrium conditions throughout its history: alternating periods of moderate, bedload-laden flows and periods of high sediment-laden debris flow dynamics. This shifting could have extended through the Holocene. Finally, we discuss the possible impact of climate and global change, as the projected effects suggest future soil and forest degradation; this, jointly with more intense rainfalls in these mountain environments, would exacerbate the future occurrence of dense sediment-laden flows at Portainé, but also in other nearby, similar basins.

Mistletoes in a changing world: a premonition of a non-analog future?

Botany ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (9) ◽  
pp. 479-488
Author(s):  
Francisco E. Fontúrbel
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Human Disturbances ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Plant Animal Interactions ◽  
Changing World

Mistletoes are a group of flowering plants that have developed a parasitic lifeform through complex eco-evolutionary processes. Despite being considered a pest, mistletoes represent a keystone forest resource and are involved in complex plant–plant and plant–animal interactions. Their parasitic lifeform and specialized ecological interactions make mistletoes an ideal model with which to understand the effects of anthropogenic disturbances in a changing world. The accelerated growth of the human population has altered all ecosystems on Earth, leading to biodiversity loss. Land-use changes (involving habitat loss, fragmentation, degradation, and transformation processes) can alter the ecological scenario for mistletoe by altering hosts, mutualists, and nutrient cycling. Those changes may have large consequences at the community level, changing the spatial structure of mistletoes, as well as interaction effectiveness, facilitation process, interaction disruption, and novel interactions with invasive species, leading to non-analog communities in the long run. Furthermore, climate change effects operate on a global scale, enhancing the effects of land-use changes. As temperatures increase, many species would alter their distribution and phenology, potentially causing spatial and temporal mismatches. But more critical is the fact that water stress is likely to disrupt key ecological interactions. Thus, mistletoes can provide valuable insights for what we can expect in the future, as a result of human disturbances.

Methodology for risk assessment of flash flood events due to climate and land use changes

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Velasco ◽  
A Cabello ◽  
I Escaler ◽  
J Barredo ◽  
A Barrera-Escoda
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Flash Flood ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Flood Events

scholarly journals A Nested Land Uses–Landscapes–Livelihoods Approach to Assess the Real Costs of Land-Use Transitions: Insights from Southeast Asia

Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillaume Lestrelin ◽  
Jean-Christophe Castella ◽  
Qiaohong Li ◽  
Thoumthone Vongvisouk ◽  
Nguyen Dinh Tien ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Opportunity Costs ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change ◽  
The Cost

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) is viewed as an effective way to mitigate climate change by compensating stewards of forested areas for minimizing forestland conversion and protecting forest services. Opportunity costs assess the cost of foregone opportunity when preserving the forest instead of investing in an alternative activity or resource use. This paper questions the calculation method of opportunity costs using averaged economic benefits and co-benefits of different land-use transitions. We propose a nested approach to land-use transitions at the interface between landscapes and livelihoods and assessing a wide range of potential socio-ecological costs and benefits. Combining household surveys and focus groups with participatory mapping, we applied the approach in villages of Laos, Vietnam and China positioned along a broad transition trajectory from subsistence shifting cultivation to intensive commercial agriculture. By looking beyond the economics of land use, we highlight important linkages between land-use changes and livelihood differentiation, vulnerability and inequalities. Our results show the importance of addressing the impacts of land-use transitions on a wide range of potential ecological and socioeconomic costs and benefits at multiple levels.

scholarly journals The Land Use - Land Degradation Nexus in Mediterranean Landscapes – Drivers of Changes And Key Processes at Selected Natura 2000 Sites of Crete, Greece

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 13-24
Author(s):  
Burghard C. Meyer ◽  
Fabian Kirsten ◽  
Dietmar Sattler ◽  
Jürgen Heinrich
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Processes Of Change ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Mediterranean Landscapes

AbstractThe land use–land degradation nexus in Cretan landscapes in regions with Natura 2000 sites was analyzed by an explorative expert driven study based on literature, field work and photo documentation methods with the aim of determining status, drivers and key processes of change. Drivers of current land use changes have been worked out by (1) general tourism developments and tourism related land uses; (2) irrigated olive yard developments; (3) fenced large-scale goat pastures and (4) large scale greenhouses. Key processes of change have been identified and qualitatively assessed for 5 regions with NATURA 2000 areas based on a non-ranked set of 11 descriptive indicators. The analysis includes the status-description and the importance assessment of land degradation processes in selected NATURA 2000 sites. Threats and pressures taken from the NATURA 2000 documentation and the land use – land degradation nexus and the analysis are a suitable basis for future land management in order to reach land degradation neutrality. The result of our analysis opens a new research field for a better integration of the normally thematically isolated analysis in geography, biology/nature conservation and agricultural policy analysis about the drivers and processes in landscape systems towards a better understanding the trends in land cover change (e.g. vegetation/soil degradation), the trends in productivity or functioning changes caused by land uses and as well for the trends in carbon stock change.

scholarly journals Beyond the myths about Indonesia’s deforestation: linking oil palm cultivation to forest degradation and sustainable development goals

2021 ◽  
Vol 892 (1) ◽  
pp. 012084
Author(s):  
B W van Assen ◽  
D H Azahari ◽  
K Obaideen ◽  
H R Al Jaghoub
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Land Clearing ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Positive Impacts

Abstract Oil palm cultivation is under scrutiny by various stakeholders, arguing that it is the main cause for Indonesia’s deforestation. This paper highlights the decades of forest degradation before the first land clearing for oil palm within the context of Indonesia’s development policies. Using ‘direct photointerpretation’ of ‘Historical Imagery’, it assesses the forest degradation and deforestation caused by oil palm cultivation in Indonesia, particularly in light of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Forest degradation has direct trade-offs with most of the SDGs, with the most affected SDGs being Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG12) and Life on Land (SDG15). Historical satellite imagery indicates that the first land clearing for the 176 Kha of oil palm estates sampled palm occurred around 1994. In contrast, only half of this area contained (natural) forests in 1984- a decade before the first land clearing. None of the remaining forests were (near) intact natural forests; all were (heavily) degraded and their biodiversity was strongly compromised. This indicates that oil palm cultivation is not linked to the degradation of Indonesia’s natural forests. Regarding SDG12, we found significant positive impacts from both the direct and indirect land-use changes by oil palm. For SDG15, we observed major positive impacts from the direct land-use changes and minor positive impacts from the indirect land-use changes. Hence, we conclude that oil palm cultivation in the sampled estates has positive impacts on Indonesia’s SDGs and Indonesia’s development policies align with its SDGs.

scholarly journals Impacts of Urban Land use changes on flood events in Warri, Delta State Nigeria

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 37-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aderoju Olaide M ◽  
◽  
Okeke Onyedikachi.J ◽  
Nwadike Blessing K ◽  
Eta Joseph ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Urban Land ◽  
Urban Land Use ◽  
Flood Events

scholarly journals Use of the KINFIL rainfall-runoff model on the Hukava catchment

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
P. Kovář ◽  
V. Kadlec
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Rainfall Runoff ◽  
Flood Events ◽  
Event Duration ◽  
Rainfall Runoff Model ◽  
Runoff Model ◽  
Runoff Events ◽  
Small Catchments

The paper reports on the flood events on the forested Hukava catchment. It describes practical implementation of the KINFIL rainfall-runoff model. This model has been used for the reconstruction of the rainfall-runoff events and thus for the calibration of its parameters. The model was subsequently used to simulate the design discharges with an event duration of t<sub>d</sub> = 30, 60, and 300 min in the period of recurrence of 100 years, and during the scenario simulations of the land use change when 40% and 80% of the forest in the catchment had been cleared out and then replaced by permanent grasslands. The implementation of the KINFIL model supported by GIS proved to be a proper method for the flood runoff assessment on small catchments, during which different scenarios of the land use changes were tested.

scholarly journals A Socio-Spatial Analysis of Land Use Dynamics and Process of Land Intervention in the Peri-Urban Areas of Bahir Dar City

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abebe Mengaw Wubie ◽  
Walter T. de Vries ◽  
Berhanu Kefale Alemie
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Bahir Dar ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Land Use Dynamics

The contemporary urbanization and its implication to land use dynamics especially in the peri-urban areas are emerging as a cross-cutting theme in policy debates and scientific discourse. As most cities in developing countries, including Ethiopia, are experiencing continuous expansion of built-ups and dynamic land use changes, monitoring and an in-depth analysis of the past, present and future predictions of these changes are important for a holistic understanding of the problem, its consequence, and to regulate proper land use intervention options. Thus, the main objective of this research is to assess land use dynamics and processes of land intervention in the peri-urban areas of Bahir Dar city using a socio-spatial analysis. It assesses to what extent the existing peri-urban land intervention processes and land use decisions are effective in combating and controlling unwanted land use changes. Primary socio-economic data were collected using questionnaires, focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews; in addition, spatial data including Landsat and Sentinel imageries of 1993, 2001, 2011 and 2020 were utilized. Land use/land cover (LULC) classes were computed using the integration of spectral and object-based image classification techniques. The results signal that built-ups are expanding horizontally with unpredicted patterns. This is because the existing land intervention processes are lacking effectiveness to govern the spatial patterns of built-ups. The results further depict that processes of land use intervention do not only determine horizontal urban expansion but also determine the nature of people-to-land relationships, which involve both formal and informal processes. This creates haphazard, disputed and unregulated land use systems in peri-urban areas of Bahir Dar. The socio-spatial methodology applied in this research is effective in monitoring both the spatial and social dimensions of land use changes. The spatial results effectively demonstrate the dynamics of land uses; whereas, the social analysis supports understanding of the processes of land use interventions. In conclusion, monitoring processes of land use interventions are key policy and decision making directions to regulate and manage land use dynamics in the peri-urban area.

scholarly journals Biological survey of a cloud forest in southwestern Mexico: plants, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Carlos Almazán-Núñez ◽  
Edson A. Alvarez-Alvarez ◽  
Fernando Ruiz-Gutiérrez ◽  
Ángel Almazán-Juárez ◽  
Pablo Sierra-Morales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Risk Category ◽  
Cloud Forests ◽  
Species Accumulation Curves ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrates

Abstract: Cloud forest ecosystems contain unique flora and fauna characterized by high levels of richness and endemism. However, this ecosystem is one of the most threatened because of land-use changes stemming from anthropogenic activities. Therefore, biological inventories are necessary to adequately assess the effects of land-use changes on species now and in the future. In this study, we conducted an inventory of plants and terrestrial vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) in three fragments of cloud forest in southwestern Mexico. Field work was carried out for 15 days per biological group during distinct time periods (2005-2008). Conventional methods of species capture and observation were employed to record species. Recorded species were then categorized based on their endemism and risk category. A total of 67 species of plants, 17 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 93 species of birds, and 46 species of mammals were recorded. The species accumulation curves for most taxa, except for birds and mammals, showed an asymptotic trend. A total of 56 species endemic to Mexico and four quasi-endemic species were recorded. Plants, amphibians, and reptiles presented the greatest number of species exclusive to Mexico (13 species). Six species of herpetofauna endemic to Guerrero were recorded. According to Mexican laws, 24 of the encountered species are under special protection, while 16 are categorized as threatened and seven as endangered. Reptiles and birds presented the greatest number of at-risk species (14 species). Bird and mammal richness in this study is high in comparison to that recorded in the cloud forests of the entire Mexican state of Guerrero (157 and 75 species, respectively). This data highlights the importance of cloud forests in the study area for local and regional biodiversity. Effective conservation strategies should be prioritized in cloud forests, as this ecosystem is poorly represented in natural protected areas.

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